Explainer | What is China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission?
- China’s space scientists have completed a rare feat by landing a rover on the red planet
- The mission is part of a bigger programme to explore worlds beyond Earth
The landing of the Zhu Rong rover on Mars is a milestone for China’s space programme, signalling advances in the country’s technology. China is the third country to achieve such a feat.
What is the Tianwen programme?
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China Mars rover Zhu Rong successfully lands on red planet
What is the next stage for the rover?
The rover is expected to spend the next three months roaming the surface, sending back photos and data of the site. The Tianwen-1 probe remains in orbit and will act as a relay satellite, sending signals to and from Earth. Once the rover’s mission is completed, the orbiter will spend up to two years on other space exploration tasks.
What does the Mars landing mean for China?
The landing on Saturday makes China the third country after the United States and the former Soviet Union to achieve such a feat. State news agency Xinhua said the mission represented advances for China in launch, interplanetary flight and communications technology.
